Pilot Radioed Engine Out At FL210

A father, son and a friend were killed in British Columbia when their Piper Malibu reportedly lost its engine while flying over the Canadian Rockies near the Alberta border Friday night.

Lost in the crash were David Wood, 37, and his father Bill Wood, 63 and another unidentified person.

Canadian search officials reported that the pilot radioed air traffic control just before the crash to report an engine failure at 21,000 feet, according to CBC News.

The aircraft (similar to type shown below) was enroute to Springbank, Alberta, from Salem, OR.

Search and Rescue officials said the pilot tried to glide to Fairmont, B.C. but altered course to nearby Invermere, when ATC lost contact with the aircraft.

Satellite systems pinpointed the crash site in a mountain valley, adjacent to the Columbia River Valley with surrounding mountains that are 8-9,000 feet high.

Captain Aaron Twa, with B.C. Rescue Co-ordination Center, said a Cormorant helicopter arrived on the scene within 90-minutes.

FMI: www.rcc-net.org/rcc/cdnsar.htm, www.nss.gc.ca/SAR_directory/index_e.asp